Pump



J. C. BIRD May 16, 1933.

PUMP

Filed July 13, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 RM m N00 W m BY wow? ATTORNEY May 16, 1933. I J c D 1,909,517

PUMP

Filed July 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN C. BIRD, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO UNION STEAM PUMP COMPANY, OF BATTLE GREEK, MICHIGAN Application filed July 13,

The objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a self-priming centrlfugal Pump- Second, to provide a self-prlmlng centrifugal pump for use when the liquid to be pumped is mixed with gas.

Third, to provide a self-priming centrlfugal pump in which the liquid that has been pumped and separated from thegas is utilized for priming when the pump 1s 1n opera-' tion.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely ap ear'from the following description.

X preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the pump taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 3. r

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the pump line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. .3 is a vertical section of the pump on line 33 of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 4 is a horizontal view of the pump partly in section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view of the impeller.

The parts will be identified by their numerals of reference, which are the same in all the views.

1 is a pump casing open at its top as at 2, having a removable-head 3 and a hand hole 4 witha plate 5 and an intake 6. 7 is a perforated plate having perforations 8 for separating foreign matter from the liquid to be pumped. 9 is the passage from the intake to the eye 10 of the impeller. This passage 9 adjacent to the eye 10 of the impeller is shown as cylindrical in form as at 12, but any form of passage may be used.

The impeller 11 is mounted on a driven shaft 13 supported in bearings 14 with stuffing boxes 15. The impeller 11 has curved vanes 16 spaced more closely together than is usual in impellers in centrifugal pumps so that the vanes form restricted passage-ways to eliminate eddy currents when the pump is being driven, so that the flow of liquid from the eye of the impeller to the periphery will be in direct lines and will avoid any side cur- 1931. Serial No. 550,423.

rents. This is especially advantageous in that it allows the liquid passing through the impeller to carry any entrained air directly to the periphery. The direction of curvature of side to the opening or discharge end 19. The

discharge opening is formed by walls 20 and 21, which walls flare to provide a flaring opening in which is positioneda vane 22. This opening 19 flares at a greater angle than the rest of the volute to retard the flow ofthe liquid as it leaves the discharge. Directly above the opening 19 is a separation chamber 23 having a gas separated gas is discharged.

A passage 25 leads from theopening 19 past the impeller chamber and surrounds the portion 12 of the intake passage. In the wall of the portion 12 of the intake passage is a boss 26 having a port 27 forming a nozzle, which is so arranged that a flow of liquid through the opening 27 is directed across the passage 12 eccentrically"so as to miss the shaft 13 and discharge into the edge of the eye of the impeller, as at 28; so that a discharge of liquid from the opening 27 strikes the edge of the impeller eyeand the inner ends of the vanes of the impeller. A passage 29 leads from the passage 25 to the discharge port 30 of the pump.

In operation, liquid is admitted through the hand opening 4 for the initial priming. The impeller 11 is then rotated, and the priming liquid is discharged into the volute 18 and circulates through the passage 25 and is discharged through the port 27 in a turbulent stream against the portion 28 of the eye of the impeller. This turbulent jet entrains gas in the passage 12 and, as the liquid enters the eye of the impeller, the entrained gas is acted on with the liquid and is discharged through the volute 18; and as the stream of liquid with the entrained gas reaches the enlarged discharge opening 19 of the volute, the flow port 24 through which the lltl through passage said openmg,

of the liquid is retarded and the gas separates and discharges through opening 24.

The liquid from which the gas has been separated flows through passage 25 and is again discharged through the port 27, where it entrains more gas to create a vacuum in the intake passage 9 of the pump. The vanes 16 of the impeller 11, forming restricted passages, carry the bubbles of entrained gas to the volute in a much more eficient way than the usual impeller would do, because the restricted passage eliminates the possibility of eddy currents that would retard the flow of the liquid and would allow the centrifugal force of the impeller to separate the gas from theliquid and force it to the eye of the impeller. As a vacuum is created in the passages 9 and 12, the diflerence in pressure between the passages 25 and the pressure in the passages 9 and 12 increases the force with which the stream flows from the port 27, and this increases the turbulence of the stream, making it entrain more gas;

After the gas has been exhausted from passage 9 to such a degree that the vacuum is high enough to cause the water to flow into passage 9 through intake 6, the final complete removal of gas from passage 9 is rapidly accelerated' and complete priming is accomplished. After priming, the water flowing 27 acts as a jet to accelerate the flow of water into the'pump impeller. Whenever air again accumulates in the suction passages from any cause, such as leakage or by the exhausting of the supply of water, thus uncovering the suction pipe, the water passing through passage 27 again operates to reprime the pump. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A centrifugal pump having a casing, an intake passage, an impeller having an eye for-the admission of liquid to said impeller, said impeller having vanes forming restricted passageways therebetween, a volute surrounding said impeller and having an upwardly facing enlarged discharge opening to decrease the velocity of the flow of liquid in said pump, a separation chamber above a gas discharge port in said chamber, a nozzle having its opening directed diagonally across the intake passage, toward the edge of the impeller eye, and against the inner ends of the vanes of said impeller, a passageway connecting said nozzle tothe discharge passage of the pump at a point past said separation chamber, and a discharge.

2. A centrifugal pumphaving acasin-g, an; intake passage, an impeller having an eye for the admission of liquid to said impeller, a volute surrounding said impeller and having an upwardly facing enlarged discharge opening to decrease the velocity of the flow of liquid in said pump, aseparation chamber a the edge of the impeller eye,

moat 17' above said opening, a gas discharge port in said chamber, a nozzle having its opening directed diagonally'across the intake passage and toward the edge of the impeller eye and against the inner ends of the vanes of said impeller, a passageway connecting said nozzle to the discharge passage of the pump at a point past said separation chamber, and a discharge.

3. A centrifugal intake passage, an impeller having an eye for the admission of liquid to said impeller, a volute surrounding said impeller and having an upwardly facing enlarged discharge opening to decrease the velocity of the flow of liquid in said pump, a separation chamber above said opening, a gas discharge port in said chamber, a nozzle having its opening directed diagonally across the intake passage,- toward the edge of the impeller eye and against the inner ends of the vanes of said impeller, a passageway connecting said nozzle to the discharge passage of the pump, and a discharge.

ii:- A centrifugal pump having a casing, an intake passage, an impeller having an eye for the admission of liquid to said impeller, a volute surrounding said impeller and having an upwardly facing enlarged discharge opening to decrease the velocity of the flow of liquid in said pump, a separation chamber above said opening, a gas discharge port in said chamber, a nozzle having its opening directed diagonally across the intake passage and toward the edge of the impeller eye, a passageway connecting said nozzle to the discharge passage of the pump at a point past said separation chamber, and a discharge.

5. A centrifugal pump having a casing, an intake pasage, an impeller having an eye for the admission of liquid to said impeller, a volute surrounding said impeller, a separation chamber receiving the discharge from the volute, a gas discharge port in said chamher, a nozzle having its opening directed dipump having a casing, an

ward the edge of the impeller eye, a passageway connecting said nozzle to the discharge passage of the pump at a point past said separation chamber, and a discharge.

6. A centrifugal pump having a casing, an intake passage, a self-priming means for the elimination of air comprising an impeller having an eye for the admission of liquid to said impeller, a nozzle at one wall of said intake passage having its opening directed diagonally across the intake passage, toward and against the inner endsv of the vanes of said impeller whereby a stream of water is directed subagonally across the intakepassage and tostantially completely across said intake passage to entrain-air and deliver it directly to f th o e pump, 0

7. In a self-priming centrifugal pum a self-priming means for the elimination 0' air comprising an intake passage leading to the eye of the impeller,and a nozzle at one wall of said intake passage and connected to the 

